Glass feeding apparatus



9, 19 c. A. BROWN. Em 2,3 ,064

GLASS FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1940 2 SheetsSheet 1 inyencors:Carl A. Brown,

Ch r'Les \M Craig, byiflmfl/ Their Accorneg.

Nov. 9, 1943. c. A. BROWN ET AL 2,334,064.

GLASS FEEDING APPARATUS 7 Filed May l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor'sCarl A. Brown,

C rLes W. Craig,

Their A't'tor'neg.

Patented Nov. 9, li id? GLASS FEZEE;

Carl A. Brown, Chardon, and @harles v Craig, Cleveland Heights, @hlo,assignore to General Electric ilornpany, a corporation or New '1Application May l, 194%, derial No. 332,?ii2

(@210 se is) 12 @laiins.

Our invention relates to apparatus for feeding molten gobs of glass orother vitreous material at a high rate of speed and more particularly toapparatus for separating a free falling stream of molten vitreousmaterial into gobs.

At the present time, many shaping machines for vitreous articles requireseparated quantities or gobs of the vitreous material in order tooperate and could be operated at much greater speeds if the gobs couldbe .fed more rapidly. In some instances, the gob type feed is dispensedwith altogether in order to increase the speed of operation and theforming apparatus is caused to intercept a free falling stream of thematerial. In the latter instance, all of the stream cannot be used'anclthe apparatus must be constructed so that the excess material fallingthereon while the different parts thereof are moving to and fromposition below said stream does not interfere with the operationthereof. This method of operation results in a certain amount of Wastewhich is often equal in amount to the material used.

The principal object of our invention is to separate a free fallingstream of molten vitreous material into separate quantities or gobs toincrease the speed of operation of apparatus for shaping said material.

Another'cbject of our invention is to provide apparatus for severing amolten stream of vitreous material more rapidly at regularly spacedintervals than has been possible heretofore. This may be accomplished,in accordance with our in vention, by mounting a plurality of knives ona rotatable turret which is arranged so as to carry the knives againstthe stream and through a slot in a co-operating cutting block.

Another object of our invention is to provide apparatus for acceleratingthe movement of the gobs as they are severed from the stream to assistin separating the tail or strings formed during severing and remove saidgobs from the path of the stream. The severing operation reduces thespeed of movement or" the gob somewhat so that the stream would verysoon contact and become sealed thereto if it were not moved out of theway thereof. By increasing the speed of movement of the gobs for thispurpose, each is separated from the others and can be more readil;directed into the portions of the shaping machine advanced into thefeeding station.

Gther objects and features of our invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of a species thereof and from thedrawings.

In the drawings, Fig. l a vertical section through the center of agob=ieeding apparatus comprising our invention; Figs. 2 and 3 arehoriaontal sections through said apparatus along lines 2? andrespectively of Fig. 1 as viewed from the directions indicated; and Fig.4 is a side elevation of the apparatus.

The particular form of the gob-feeding apparathe shown in the drawingssupplies to a lamp base assembling machine the gobs or bodies of glassforming the insulating buttons of said bases. Ac cording to ourinvention, a stream of glass, preferahlv of circular section and ofknown size, shortly after issuing from a furnace, is severed at regularintervals by the three rotating knives it of the cutting apparatus it.The gobs it formed in this manner are pulled away from the knives ii andare propelled by the impellers it and it) at nearly twice the rate ofmovement oi the stream to the heads i l of the base-making machine,which heads are regularly carried into the position shown. The completefeeding operation can he caused to talre place so rapidly that 500 ormore gobs per minute can be caught by the heads on a constantly rotatingturret. In every instance, it is necessary that the operation of thefeeding apparatus be synchronized with the operation of the particularforming or shaping apparatus using the gobs it. In this instance theknives Hi and impellers it and it are actuated by the drive shaft whichis driven by the case assembling machine.

I he knives l l are located in grooves in the tur ret i8 129 intervalsand are held therein by the iiug shaped plate to attached thereto andare timed to operate With the base assembling machine toy adjustment ofsaid turret it about shaft after the nut iii and Wedges it have beenloosened. The shaft ll turns the turret it in a counter-clockwisedirection which carries the knives i, in turn, through a slot in theoutwardlv extending portion of the guard 93 and through the slot B lbetween the upper and lower cutting hloclrs 25 and 2t and then againstthe downwardly flowing molten stream iii passing through the opening 2?in said blocks 25 and 2%. The severing operation in this particularinstance consists in shearing from the stream a very narrow section theWidth. of the knives ii and the slot "25, as the cutting face or" theknife 3 i is p rpendicular to its direction of movement. The succeedingmovement or" the knife it pushes the section severed from the streamthrough the slot and when the knife i i emerges therefrom said sectiondrops into the receptacle it. An air blast from the pipe it blows thesesections through an opening in the side of the guard and collecting inthe trough 3|.

to a refuse container located adjacent thereto. The speed of movement ofthe knife II is preferably so rapid that it does not appreciablyinterfere with the downward movement of the stream In and the glass ofthe stream does not pile up thereon. Cutting speeds sufficient to formfive hundred or more gobs per minute are easily provided.

The cooling of the cutting apparatus I2 is done in part by the spray ofcooling water directed onto the knives I I by the nozzle 30 whichextends through the top of the guard 23, said water being thrown fromthe knives Hby their rotation The trough 3I is drained by pipe 32 andrests on the cover 33 over the water-filled chamber 34 of the head 35 ofthe apparatus which supports the cutting blocks 25 and 26 and providesfor their cooling. The water is introduced into the chamber 34 throughthe pipe 36 and is introduced into a longitudinal passage 31 (Fig. 2) inthe upper cutting block 25 through the pipe 33 which is connected to theend of said passage 31 and to an opening 39 in the bottom of the chamber34. A transverse passage adjacent the cutting face of the block 25conducts the cooling water to a sec- 0nd longitudinal passage 40 whichis drained to cation is furnished thereto from an oil cup (not shown)mounted on the upper cutting block 25 which feeds to the transversepassage 43 (Fig. 4) therein which in turn is drained by two passages 44terminating in the angular cutting faces of the block 25 in the opening21. The lubricant flows down these cutting faces to the knives II.

The severing operation tends to reduce the speed of the downwardmovement of the gobs I3 so that they would ordinarily be contacted bythe end of the stream ID if it were not for the impellers i5I6 whichengage and force them downward more rapidly. Each of the impellers I 5and I 6 comprises a tube supported bythe lower cutting block 26 and aportion of the head of the apparatus at the opposite side of the opening21, and engages the gobs I3 through a tooth 45. As the stream I0 isbeing severed, the teeth 45 engage and are pressed into the gob I3 whichis being formed, so that a firm grip is had on said gob I3 although itis somewhat deformed. The impellers I5 and I6 rotate in oppositedirections due to the intermeshing gears 46 and 41 on one end thereofand are preferably rotated at such speed as to substantially double therate of movementof the gob I3. In the particular instance illustrated,five hundred gobs are formed from a stream moving downward at 35 feetper minute and the impellers increase the rate of movement toapproximately 80 feet per minute.

In order that the movements of the impellers I5 and I6 be timed with themovements of the cutting knives II, they are actuated by the drive Thegears 52, 53,

head 35. Like the other portions of the apparatus, the impellers arecooled, the cooling water being that flowing through the opening 53 fromchamber 34 to the side chamber 59 below the one end of the impellers I5and I6 and up through the passages 60 to the openings 6I about saidends. From here the water passes through openings 62 and into the hollowinterior 63 of said impellers I5 and I6. Packing at opposite ends of theopenings 62 keeps the cooling water from leaking out. and the bushings64 in the head 35 keep the packing in place and provide bearings for theends of the impellers I5 and I6 carried thereby. The continuations ofthe passages 66, in which the opposite ends of the impellers aresupported, conduct the water away therefrom and assist in cooling thelower cutting block 26. These passages 66 drain into the chamber 4| inthe head 35. The standard 61 (only partially shown) supports the head 35and therefore furnishes full support for the apparatus of our invention.

A funnel 68 is preferably mounted between the feeding apparatus and theapparatus receiving the gobs I3, in this case the base assemblingmachine, in order to assure positive insertion of the gobs therein. Thehead I4 of the base assembling machine receiving the gob I3 alreadysupports the metal eyelet and shell 69 and 13 respectively of the base,and the g'cb I3 is pressed down in the head about portionsthereof to theform desired after movement of the head from under the feeding machine.v

What we claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited Statesis:

1. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream, a rotatable turret mounted on a fixed axis adjacentthereto, and a plurality of spaced radially extending knives mounted onsaid turret in fixed spacial relationship and arranged to be rotated bysaid turret in the same direction so that they pass successively throughthe path of travel of the stream and the slot in the cutting block atsucceeding intervals to sever said stream into gobs.

2. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molte stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream and having passages therein for the circulation of acooling fluid, a rotatable turret mounted on a fixed axis adjacentthereto, and a plurality of spaced radially extending knives mounted onsaid turret in fixed spacial relationship and arranged to be rotated bysaid turret in the same direction so that they pass successively throughthe path of travel of the stream and the slot in the cutting block atsucceeding intervals to sever said stream into gobs.

3. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream and having passages therein for the circulation of acooling fluid and other passages terminating in the face thereofadjacent the stream at a point above the slot for the distribution of alubricant to said slot, a rotatable turret mounted on a fixed axisadjacent thereto,

.and a plurality of spaced radially extending knives mounted on saidturret in a fixed spacial relationship and arranged to be rotated bysaid turret in the same direction so that they pass successively throughthe path of travel of the stream and the slot in the cutting block atsucceeding intervals to sever said stream into gobs.

4. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream, a rotatable turret mounted on a fixed axis adjacentthereto, a plurality of spaced radially extending knives mounted on saidturret in fixed spacial relationship and arranged to be rotated by saidturret in the same direction so that they pass successively through thepath of travel of the stream and the slot in the cutting block atsucceeding intervals to sever said stream into gobs, and a receptaclemounted below the said slot in the cutting block and adjacent the facethereof from which the knives emerge for receiving the waste materialcut from the stream.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising means for severing amolten stream of vitreous material at regular intervals to form gobs ofthe material, and separate mechanical impeller means engaging the gobsat definite predetermined intervals and increasing their rate ofmovement in the normal direction of travel of the stream to a speedappreciably greater than that of the stream, and mechanism for actuatingsaid severing means and said impeller means in proper time relation.

6. Apparatus oi the class described comprising means for severing amolten stream of vitreous material at regular intervals to form gobs ofthe material, a pair of impellers located at opposite sides of the gobsformed in this manner, and means for actuating the impellers to causethem to engage each gob and accelerate its movement in the normaldirection of travel of the stream to a speed appreciably greater thanthat of the stream, and mechanism for actuating said severing means andsaid impellers in proper time relation.

'7. Apparatus of the class described comprising means for severing amolten stream of vitreous material at regular intervals, a pair ofimpellers having teeth thereon and located at opposite sides of the gobsformed in this manner, and means for rotating said impellers to causethe teeth to engage each gob and accelerate its movement in the normaldirection 01 travel or the stream to a speed appreciably greater thanthat of the stream, and mechanism for actuating said severing means andsaid impellers in proper time relation.

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising means for severing amolten stream of vitreous material at regular intervals, a pair ofimpellers located at opposite sides 01' the gobs formed in this mannerand having a passage for conducting a cooling fluid therethrough, andmeans for actuating the impellers to cause them to engage each ob andaccelerate its movement in the normal direction of travel of the streamto a speed appreciably greater than that of the stream, and mechanismfor actuating said severing means and said impellers in proper timerelation.

9. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path 01' travelof the stream, a rotatable turret mounted adjacent thereto, a pluralityof knives mounted on said turret and arranged to be moved by said turretthrough the path of travel of the stream and the slot in the cuttingblock at succeeding 5 intervals to sever said stream into gobs, andmechanical impeller means engaging said gobs for accelerating theirmovement in the normal direction of travel of the stream to a speedappreciably greater than that of the stream, and mechanism for actuatingsaid knives and said impeller means in proper time relation.

10. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream, a rotatable turret mounted adjacent thereto, a pluralityof knives mounted on said turret and arranged to be moved by said turretthrough the path 01' travel of the stream and the slot in the cuttingblock at succeeding intervals to sever said stream into gobs, a pair ofimpellers having teeth thereon and located at opposite sides of a gobformed in this manner, and means for rotating said impellers to causethe teeth to engage the gob and accelerate its movement in the normaldirection of travel of the stream to a speed appreciably greater thanthat of the stream, and mechanism for actuating said knives and saidimpellers in proper time relation.

11. Apparatus for forming gobs from a molten stream of vitreous materialcomprising a slotted cutting block mounted adjacent the path of travelof the stream having passages therein for the circulation of a coolingfluid, a rotatable turret mounted adjacent thereto, a plurality ofknives mounted on said turret and arranged to be moved by said turretthrough the path of travel of the stream and the slot in the cuttingblock at succeeding intervals to sever said stream 40 into gobs, a pairof impellers located at opposite sides of a gob formed in this mannerand having a passage for conducting a cooling fluid therethrough, andmeans for actuating the impellers to cause them to engage the gob andaccelerate its movement in the normal direction of travel of the streamto a speed appreciably greater than that of the stream, and mechanismfor actuating said knives and said impellers in proper time relation.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatably mountedturret member, at least one radially and horizontally extending knifemounted on said turret, and a cutting block mounted in the rotary pathof said knife and having a horizontal slot therein for passage of theknife, said cutting block being further pro-- CARL A. BROWN. CHARLES W.CRAIG.

